Opening Jars
by jin0uga
Summary: Haley doesn't care about the new farmer who just moved in. Obviously, that slowly changes. Female!Farmer/Haley.
1. Chapter 1

_Guess who married Haley in Stardew? I loved her Heart Events, and got inspired to write this. Not enough Haley/MC fics around here, which makes me sad. I hope any Haley fans out there enjoy this._

 _2019 Edit: Some changes here and there, mostly for clarity._

* * *

Haley didn't care about the new farmer who moved in. As a side effect of having parents who couldn't stay home for more than a month, she tried not to wear her emotions on her sleeve. It helped her feign apathy when people who promised to call never did, when friends became acquaintances until they stopped being even that, turning into strangers she once knew.

Her gaggle of high school friends had whittled down to just one. She and Alex, by some ridiculous stroke of luck, had moved to Pelican town. He was a good friend and could hold decent conversations despite his obsession with sports. It helped that he was a looker. Haley liked guys with strong jaws, shapely biceps, and great hair. Great hair was a must.

The what's-her-name farmer was plain. Almost ridiculously so. From her hair colour to her way of dress, an average Jane you could find anywhere in the world. A far cry from the old man who passed on seasons ago, retiring painlessly to the other side.

Haley had met the kindly grandfather twice. Once when her family moved in, another when she'd bumped into him at Pierre's. He had been charismatic, funny, and smelled of truffle oil and flowers.

His granddaughter however… Haley didn't want to be mean. But god, the woman was _dull_.

"Her lack of presence is scary. I could walk into a store and not even notice her," she told Alex as they lounged in the summer sun. Haley sighed in contentment. Pelican town might have been an utter bore, but the beach was amazing. Quiet and tranquil, no bawling babies or annoying ruffians trying to hit on her. It almost made up for the lack of a mall.

Alex shrugged. "She seems pretty cool to me."

"God, seriously? You bitched about how she smelled like grass last week."

"That was _you_ , not me." He scratched his chin, almost thoughtfully. "Maybe you just haven't gotten to know her yet. I'm sure you guys have something in common."

Haley shot him a dubious look.

"Hear me out. You like flowers, right?"

"Yeah, except dandelions. Those are gross." Haley scrunched her nose, playing with the sunglasses in her lap. "Why? Does she like flowers, too?"

"What girl doesn't like flowers?" She rolled her eyes. Boys. "Anyway, when I talked to her the other day, she told me she was growing sunflowers. Since that's one of your favourite things of all time, you guys could talk about it, right?" Alex finished, absurdly pleased with himself.

"I can't just go up to her and start talking about sunflowers. She'd think I'm crazy."

"Or you could just wait till she talks to you. Casually bring up the flowers and," He snapped his fingers, "The two of you will be talking in no time."

Haley considered it for a second. "No," she said, and went back to soaking up the sun.

She ignored Alex's whining and relaxed into the beach towel. That sounded like way too much work. Besides, the other woman hardly talked to her after the first meet n' greet.

The only occasion Haley remembered exchanging words was the time they bumped into each other outside the Saloon. The woman had given her a horseradish. Haley guessed her reaction of " _Gross!"_ did little to endear her to the farmer.

Could you blame her? Horse radishes were disgusting.

* * *

Being stuck Pelican town was a frustrating, miserable experience. The first year here had been hell. Thinking back on it, Haley laughed at her younger self who bubbled with excitement about graduating. The moment she received her high school diploma, the shining college life of bar-hopping, shopping, and dating she'd envisioned had been destroyed by one sentence.

" _Girls… we're moving. Surprise!"_

All her previous college choices went from being ' _in the vicinity_ ' to ' _only reachable by a six hour bus ride_.' Haley considered staying at a dorm, but when she'd heard horror stories of psychotic roommates and haunted rooms, she quickly scrapped the idea. It wasn't like she'd been particularly set on a degree, anyway. Maybe if she'd waited, her parents would find Pelican town an utter bore and haul ass back to Zuzu City.

And then her parents decided to sail around the world, leaving her and Emily to rot in the town they insisted on moving to in the first place.

As far as sisters went, Emily was alright. Outside of being weird, dyeing her hair blue – why blue? – Haley wouldn't exchange her for anyone else. She knew she wasn't the easiest person to live with, either. Emily hated it when she didn't clear the bathroom drain, or left the dishes in the sink after eating.

But in her defence, Emily drove her up the wall when she blasted hippie music like it was going out of fashion and insisted on adding mushrooms in every conceivable dish she cooked. One person could only eat so much mushrooms before they went mad, stewed, fried, or otherwise.

"Haley! You didn't clean the cushions, _again_!"

"Who are you, Mom?" Haley shot back, rolling her eyes. "I already cleaned under the couch. Would it kill you to do the cushions for once?"

"You know how tired I am after night shifts. And I still have to make breakfast."

"I don't see why I have to clean them today. I just did that last week," She grouched, pointing at the underside of the cushion Emily was holding. "It doesn't even look dirty."

Emily glared. "Stop being so childish. I'm the one who does most of the chores and– oh."

Haley watched as her sister's stern expression faded, replaced by embarrassment. She turned to see her least favourite person in all of Pelican Town standing by the door. Great. Now she was going to have two people nagging at her to do a job she obviously didn't want to. She _so_ wasn't in the mood.

Haley let her mind drift as the farmer woman and her sister started talking over her. She examined her nails. Gosh, she needed to get them done soon.

"Haley doesn't want to clean the cushions. It's dirty, and it's really bothering me." Emily said, folding her arms. The farmer swept her bangs to the side. Haley found herself startled when chocolate brown eyes bored into her. She quickly looked away and covered her surprise with a muttered, "Like I said. I already cleaned them last week."

Emily waved her off and asked, "So, what do you think?"

Haley almost scoffed. Sure, ask a total stranger to butt in on a family problem. It was just a goddamn cushion, they were arguing like there was a treasure map hidden under the covers. At this point, she was contemplating on throwing them out to stop this stupid conversation.

"Haley," The farmer finally said, after several seconds of silent contemplation, "Why not have this be your one weekly job?" She smiled. Haley thought her dimples were absurdly adorable. She hadn't noticed them before.

"I guess I could live with that," Haley conceded. That sounded reasonable. And it gave her an out from cleaning the rest of the house.

"Then it's settled," Emily clapped her hands gleefully, "Get to it, Haley. I'll have breakfast ready as soon as you're done."

Scratch that. Emily was a _terrible_ sister. Haley groaned and swept the cushions into her arms, ignoring the amused grins directed at her, and trudged to the closet.

* * *

The remaining days of Summer dwindled until there was only three left. Haley had a counter in her room, it was hard not to when it was the only season she looked forward to every year. The beginning of Fall always saw her mourning the absence of sunlight caressing her skin, peals of thunder and rainy nights where the sky was split by a spectacular burst of forked lightning.

Haley's feet had carried her here. It was twelve in the afternoon, a prime time for lounging at the beach and sipping at her imported coconut juice. But here she was, standing awkwardly in front of the house where the woman who helped opened her jar of pickles, lived. She blamed Alex for his incessant talks of flowers and budding friendships.

"Is that you, Haley?"

She jumped when someone tapped her shoulder. She whirled around with a glare, annoyance sparking in her chest when the farmer quirked a grin at her reaction.

"Sorry," the other woman said, sounding anything but. "So, what can I do for you? Do you have another jar that needs opening?"

Haley shook her head. "I wish, but no." The next batch of pickles wouldn't be here till next month. Her remaining half a jar would tide her over till then. "I'm…I came to visit?"

"You sure?"

"I came to see the flowers," Haley said firmly. "Alex told me you were growing a bunch. I wanted to see them."

The farmer perked up, nodding in what Haley guessed was excitement. "Oh, right! He told me you love sunflowers, so I haven't sold those yet. Here, I'll take you to see them."

Haley felt a little flattered. Only a little. She made a mental note to thank Alex, and smack his head for being a loud mouth. They walked down the wooden path to the most glorious patch of flowers Haley had ever laid eyes on.

The summer spangles and poppies were practically smothered by sunflowers. The multitude of brightly colored heads looked like blots of paint on a sun-colored canvas. Haley lurched forward, her hand reaching out to caress the petal of her favorite flower. She ran the pad of her fingers on the yellow silk with agonizing slowness.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" There was a proud inflection in the farmer's words. Haley thought it was warranted. She wished she had a camera to create a permanent reminder of the beauty seeds, dirt, and water could create.

"It's amazing," Haley said in awe. The woman fell in step beside her, and Haley felt a thoughtful gaze pinning her where she stood.

"Would you like one?"

" _Please_." Haley said breathlessly. She caught herself and blushed. God, she was being offered a flower, not a million dollars. "If it's alright with you, I mean."

"I wouldn't be offering if I wasn't." The farmer laughed, "Wait here. I'll get my cutters."

The sunlight felt warmer than usual. Birds took to the sky, soaring across the field as they sang a pitched hymn. Their songs split the air, voices strong and hypnotizing. Haley caught herself staring at the house the woman had disappeared into, and wondered why her face burned.


	2. Chapter 2

_More Haley/Farmer for my thirsty self. Plz enjoy._

* * *

Zuzu city was awash with colour, sound and people. Haley's heart stuttered as she stepped off the bus, one hand shrugging dust off the back of her skirt. Everything was how she remembered, from the sleek interchange to the evenly tared footpath leading out to the main intersection. Though she had long gotten used to the drab and peaceful atmosphere of the valley, she remained a city dweller at heart.

A clink of keys sounded. She turned to see her girlfriend yawning, one eye still sewn shut by sandman himself. "You've got drool on your face," Haley said, one manicured finger extended to tap her cheek.

"I'll get it." The farmer hastily buried her face in the crook of her arm. Haley laughed and patted her head, earning a mumble of, "You're embarrassing me."

"Whoops." Haley fought the urge to smile. She waggled her fingers. "I'll keep these to myself."

"… only until we get back, I hope?"

Haley merely smirked and dragged her girlfriend to the first stop on their lengthy to-visit list. The biggest grocery store in Zuzu City waited two blocks down and autumn sales waited for no woman. After Pierre switched out his summer produce, her pantry had sorely lacked her favourite summer fruits.

It was four in the afternoon and the streets were packed tighter than a vacuum can of sardines. Plenty of men in business suits and women in pencil skirts stalked the sidewalk, coffee clenched tightly in their hands, and they were a strange sight among literal waves of teenagers bouncing to and fro, shopping bags draped along their forearms.

"It's too damn crowded here."

"It's lively," Haley corrected. "Fall season means more sales. Thank god we're here, all my outfits are so out of season."

The farmer chuckled. "Then mine's probably a century late."

"Your clothes aren't that bad." When the other woman preened, Haley added, "You only missed the party by a couple of decades."

"Oi!" Haley gave her a quick peck on her cheek to appease her. It worked nicely, settling the other woman enough that her shoulders weren't tightly bunched as before.

Time was when Haley bore the brunt of the teasing, but a year of dating meant their roles were occasionally reversed. It was likely due to their location. In the epicentre of the booming city that never slept, Haley was in her element

"Look!" Haley squealed as they stepped through the double doors of the giant building. "More than five items get half off!"

"… I need more seeds. I've never seen half the vegetables here." The farmer picked up a tomato from the showcase. Red and brilliant, it shone like a polished jewel. "I need to up my game."

"Most of their stuff comes from the best produce farms in Ferngill," Haley piped up when a frown crossed her girlfriend's face. "Large corporate farms, fully staffed with the latest equipment. You're doing fine by yourself I'd say."

"Hm. Won't hurt to scope out the competition, though." An unholy fire lit her eyes. She looked one step away from gleefully rubbing her hands together, plans for dominating the market plain on her face. "Are you looking to get anything in particular?"

"The usual. Out of season fruits, pickles, snacks," Haley listed as she took a nearby basket from the dispenser. "Could you pick out some melons? I trust your judgement."

"Sure thing. I'll meet you at …" Her girlfriend squinted her eyes at the signs hanging from the ceiling, "The frozen foods aisle?"

Haley nodded and they split off. As she wandered through the tall columns of instant foods and everything in between, her thoughts trailed to how much different this place was compared to Joja mart. She could never bring herself to shop there, not when Shane regularly walked around looking like he'd aged twenty years.

Haley knew Pam and other older folk preferred Joja to Pierre's because of price, but Pierre had the other beat in décor, atmosphere and customer service. Something about Morris just rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe it was he talked, the slick corporate lingo, or his hair, very obviously primed with gel. He looked the part of a tyrannical manager while his workers were exhausted bags of skin.

"At least Joja has competitors in Zuzu city," Haley mumbled, moving towards her favourite aisle. Rows of preserved foods stretched diagonally in both directions, nearly endless, and her heart sang in delight.

Selecting her favourite brand, she placed several pickle jars in her basket and went on her way. Her sister had also asked for several ingredients, and she'd be a pretty terrible sibling not to get them.

* * *

"Wow, I haven't seen you in ages, Haley!" The chirpy pitched voice gave her pause. On reflex she plastered a smile and whipped around.

"Ally! It's good to see you. How've you been?"

Her old high school friend looked good. She was tan – because why wouldn't she be? – and wore a flattering dress showing off the muscled slope of her arms. Haley felt the familiar bite of jealousy and batted it away before it could show on her face.

"I'm great. College is one hell of a place, you won't believe how many of our high school classmates turned up at mine. Classes are harder but it comes with the territory." Ally said. She gestured to the side. "Don't lurk behind me, Michael. Say hello."

Haley gave the man a small wave, earning a handsome grin in return. "Haley, right? You both look like you could be sisters."

"I doubt it. Are those extensions I see?" Haley teased.

"Don't give away my trade secrets. He'll run off," her old friend tutted. "I thought you moved to the countryside. How often do you come here to shop?"

"Not a lot. Only when I feel like taking the six hour bus ride."

"Ugh, poor you. I've rented an apartment nearby so I'm here every other day." Ally peeked into her basket. "Pickles? Really, Haley? You've got the tastes of an old geezer."

Haley flushed. "It's not mine. You know I hate sour stuff. It's for a friend."

"Your friend is here? C'mon, I want to meet them!"

The feeling of unease built in her gut. Moving stiffly, she brought a still chattering Ally to the frozen food aisle, ignoring the exaggerated shiver from the other girl. Granted it was cold, but not the point where she'd ask her date to wrap his arms around her like a boa constrictor.

"Oh there you are. I … hello?" Her girlfriend, bless her soul, said nothing as she led the couple towards her.

"I'm Ally, Haley's long time friend. We used to be pretty close. It's nice to meet you!" The older woman blinked at the sheer ball of energy in front of her.

"Likewise," she replied. "Here are the melons you wanted, Haley."

"Thanks." Haley winced at her flat reply. The farmer gave her an odd look and turned her attention back to the couple.

"So how long have you known her?" Ally asked, "You two seem close."

"We're neighbours," came the steady, neutral reply. "I run the only farm in Pelican town. It was rough when I started out, but it's pretty enjoyable once you get used to it."

"Awesome. You're a native there?" Michael prompted.

"No, the farm was left to me," she answered. "I thought it'd be a good change of pace to fix it up. I fell in love with it and the rest is history. You two should visit one day. It's a beautiful place."

"We'll see. There's still a year left till graduation and we've gotta find jobs before student debt crushes us, you know?" Ally joked. "We're both applying to Joja. The pay and benefits are pretty good."

Michael cleared his throat. "I thought I told you I was applying for a teaching position here."

Ally folded her arms, one eyebrow rising. The air between them thickened, reflected in the sudden terseness of the air around them. Silence reigned from it's morbid throne until Ally spoke up again.

"Yeah, I must've forgotten. Hey Haley, it was nice seeing you, but we've got to go." She linked her arms with his, starting to pull him away.

Haley nodded. "I'll be seeing you."

Michael gave them a tight smile. "Bye girls."

Her girlfriend saddled up to her as the couple disappeared into another aisle. "Well that was awkward."

"I'm sorry," Haley blurted. "I should have told them we were dating." Ally had been under false notions from beginning till end. Haley felt as if she'd pulled the wool over her own eyes. She'd done it to save herself the awkward explanations and potential embarrassment.

"It's no big deal. You were obviously uncomfortable. We don't need to parade our relationship to anyone," her girlfriend stated. "I could have done without the snappy tone, but it wasn't too different from when I first met you."

Haley winced when she recalled the early days. "Yeah. Sorry."

"Alex rambles about football when he's nervous, but he's a goofball deep down. You too," her girlfriend winked. "Prickly on the outside, mush on the inside."

"Don't compare us. We're nothing alike," Haley grumbled.

She laughed. "If you say so. Let's go and pay for these. If we take any longer, we won't be able to find the clothes you want."

Haley nearly foamed at the mouth. How could she have forgotten? They had a schedule to follow and she would be damned if she had to take another six hour bus ride just for her autumn outfits.

"Let's go already!" Haley exclaimed, dragging the other woman along.

* * *

As they piled onto the rickety bus and snatched a prime seat at the back, her girlfriend suddenly let out a deep sigh. Haley stopped fawning over her new buys and looked at her. "What was that for?"

"Your friend said she was going to apply to Joja, right?"

"Yeah. An accountant, probably."

"I should have told her to stay far, far away from that soul sucking place." The farmer sighed again, rubbing her temples. "Poor girl's going to have to learn it the hard way."

"At least they've got college degrees." Haley rested her chin in her palm. The bus had pulled out of the station while they were talking, and it zoomed along the highway at a comfortable pace. Somewhere in front, someone had begun to snore. "What am I going to do?"

"Work on your portfolio. It's come a long way since you first started."

"But what if this photography thing doesn't work out?" Haley leaned into the arm that wrapped around her. "I don't think I could've done what you did. Leaving a perfectly good job for a town in the middle of nowhere."

"I have my grandpa to thank. If he didn't leave me the farm, I'd be at my desk till I keeled over."

"But you had money and a future."

"Money, yes. Future? I'm not so sure. I only took it since I had nothing else. After three years of working there, I was at my limit. I would rather starve than look over another spreadsheet."

"So coming to Pelican town was the right decision?"

"I guess so. It was better than staying at that stupid job. Grandpa used to say ' _As long as you're moving, you'll get somewhere_ ' and it jumped out at me the moment I found his letter. He did what he wanted until the very end. That's not a bad way to go."

"Look at you, so confident and all knowing," Haley teased.

A quiet laugh. "I'm just pretending to be."

Her girlfriend leaned in for a kiss. Haley's mind quieted as she kissed back. The pair of lips on hers was warm, like the press of a hot water bottle against a roiling stomach. It calmed her. Haley drew back languidly, peering at her girlfriend though her eyelashes.

Her stomach growled. Haley's cheeks pinked and she broke away from the other woman. "Ugh. Don't laugh."

"Yes, yes. Don't worry, I'll make some food when we get back. Think you can hold out till then?"

"Hold the spice and I'll share my pickles."

Her girlfriend chortled, "Yes ma'am."

The scenery flashed by, evergreen forests hedging both sides of the road. Zuzu city was far behind them, but Haley couldn't care less. She snugged into the warm body beside her and soaked in the creak and rattle of the fidgety old bus. There was a affectionate hand combing through her hair. Smiling softly, Haley slept.


	3. Chapter 3

_Happy to see people liking the prev chapter. Here's another, typed out when I got kept up all night by mosquitoes (fuck those things)._

* * *

Emily set down the bags by the bookshelf. "Is that everything?" she asked, giving her shoulders a good roll. Her unfettered energy made the farmer smile.

"Yeah, that's all I need for the week. Thanks for giving me a roof over my head while Robin works on the house."

"You'll keep Haley busy. That's all the thanks I need," Emily said, laughing. "It's almost time for my shift. Use the kitchen if you'd like. Mushrooms are in the fridge, at the bottom." She picked up her satchel, accepting the small bottle of energy drink. "You kids keep out of trouble," she winked.

"What are we, seven?" The rebuttal made Emily grin and she left without a backwards glance. Despite her teasing, she harboured no particular worry. The other woman had been over too many times to count, the only difference now was that she'd stay after the sun had set.

Yesterday was the only time Emily had seen Haley put effort into cleaning the house – dusting, vacuuming, wiping down every flat surface. Her sister would've broken out the bottle of wax if she hadn't intervened.

The front door clicked shut, and the farmer sank into the sofa, relaxed. She glanced around and let an unbidden smile creep onto her face. She couldn't help it. It was surreal they were actually letting her crash for a week. Seven whole days!

"That's a big grin. What did you do?" Haley regarded her girlfriend warily as she shuffled into the living room. An old camera hung from around her neck, she brushed the top of it every so often like a mother caring for her child. She'd been in the dark room, giving it a good shine. Giving one last caress, she set it down on the shelf.

"No welcome hug? I'm hurt. And why would you think I'm up to something?"

"Valentine's Day, when you covered my room with pickles." Haley answered with a roll of her eyes. It had been a hilarious idea on paper, but the aftermath left much to be desired. She liked eating them but disliked being pickled herself.

"You made off with two weeks' worth of those things. I'm the one who had to clean up afterwards!"

Haley gently bonked her on the nose with a closed fist. "Only because I threatened to dump flour on your hardwood floors."

"Alright, miss snarky pants." Her girlfriend scowled. It was oddly adorable, in a puppy tripping over its own feet sort of way. "I was just grinning because your sister made a joke about us being wild."

"Wild? You?" Haley scoffed as they carried the bags into her room. Duh, because where else would she stay? The couch was enough for a guest, but her girlfriend deserved better. Contrary to gossip spread by jealous friends in high school, she had standards. Lofty, and occasionally flexible.

"I once threw toilet paper at Joja mart when I was drunk," her girlfriend declared proudly, "Shane spent the entire day taking it down instead of stacking shelves. He bought me a beer."

"My heart quickens at your courageous attempt to best capitalism," Haley deadpanned. The bags were left near her closet to be sorted later. She picked up a newly purchased pillow from Pierre's and handed it to her girlfriend. "A great champion deserves an equally great reward."

"Hundred percent dust mite free, for the jaw dropping price of nineteen dollars? You make my heart race." The farmer squished the pillow, making faces at it. She gently laid it on the bed and smoothed out its wrinkles.

"Your nerd is showing."

Her girlfriend cleared her throat. "I prefer the term, intellectual."

"Well miss intellectual, how about gracing the kitchens with your skilful hands? Dinner isn't going to make itself."

"So demanding …" Haley giggled when the other woman pretended to stomp out of the room. "You were cuter the first time we met."

"I threw that outfit a long time ago. I kind of regret it, now."

The kitchen was pristine, four corners of pure stainless steel and elevated surfaces. Her girlfriend ran a hand across the counter and sighed in envy. "To think such a gorgeous kitchen is just a ten minute walk from my home. I'd come here whenever I want to cook if I didn't think I would be intruding."

"You aren't intruding. What's yours is mine, silly."

"Cute, but Emily stays here too. I can't waltz in whenever I feel like it. That'd be pushing it." The farmer inspected the fridge's contents, humming a jaunty tune. Haley took out her favourite dining sets and spread them on the dining table. "I'm not sure what to pick, though I'm leaning more towards the swirly patterns," she said.

"…why are there so many mushrooms in here? Good lord."

"Emily's obsessed. It's part of her creative diet or whatever." Haley looked over her girlfriend's shoulder. "There should be a shank of lamb somewhere at the back. Behind the mustard."

"Ah, I see it. Do you have any bread? I could whip up a sub. Mushrooms optional, of course."

"Sandwiches? I'll go with these ones, then." Haley kept the rest of the china she'd taken out. "Want a smoothie?"

"Good idea." Her girlfriend had her arms full of ingredients when Haley turned back to look. She stalked over, exasperation plain on her face. "You're going to drop these," she scolded.

"A wise person once said that when there's a will, there will be a way."

Haley groaned, "Just pass me the lamb."

* * *

After a simple but delicious meal, Haley set down their half-empty chocolate shakes on the coffee table as her girlfriend set aside a portion for Emily. She went through their stack of movies, manicured nails tapping the fine grain of the TV cabinet. A horror movie? Nah, she didn't want to ruin the atmosphere. A documentary would be nice … but it risked either one of them falling asleep if it got too technical.

Her girlfriend let out a quiet 'oof' as she sank into the cushions. "Or we could put on some music and cuddle?" she called, derailing Haley's train of thought.

"Great idea. What would I do without you?"

"Starve, probably."

Haley stuck out her tongue. Receiving a giggle in reply, she turned away and fumbled with the radio controls. Her Dad had been proud of the sound system for its oversized antenna and reach, but she'd never had the urge to tinker with it. It was old and she already had her own portable handset tuned to her favourite stations.

"How the heck does this work … oh, finally!" Smooth jazz filtered out of the speakers that hedged the sofa. "Wow, that sounds good. I should use this more often."

As Haley returned to the sofa, the farmer smirked and opened her arms invitingly. Haley accepted the proposition and tucked herself in the crook of the offered arm. She crossed her legs, letting it rest on the other woman's lap. It wasn't the best of positions. But her body leeched the warmth radiating from her girlfriend and she soaked it up, feeling like it was summer once more.

"I can't believe it's almost the end of fall. I've no idea what to do once the snow settles in," Haley admitted. "It's so cold I never feel like going out. But there's literally nothing to do but read and browse the web."

"You could take photos of the house," her girlfriend suggested. "Or take little 'ole me while I'm still here." She made a cheese sign, laughing when Haley batted it away. That sign was so out of fashion it bordered on offensive.

"I thought you didn't like having your picture taken?"

"For formal events, yeah. But I don't mind if it's you." Haley's heart thumped loudly at the admission. She didn't answer and let her fingers follow the beat of the music, tapping their way down her girlfriend's forearm. Predictably, the woman squirmed under the touch. "I'm ticklish."

"I know. I just felt like teasing you."

"You do that every day."

"So … you don't want me to?" The farmer scowled when Haley gave her a cheeky smile.

"Not gonna to answer that," she muttered. "H-Hey stop tickling me!"

"Nope."

"I'll sleep on the couch," her girlfriend threatened. Haley smiled lazily.

"Is that a promise?"

"… darn it."

"Be quiet and hold me, nerd."

"Once again, I am an intellectual. Say it with me, I-N-T-E- mnf!"

Blood rushed to their ears and drowned the low, sultry croon of the saxophone. Haley slanted her lips eagerly, pressing deeper into the kiss. There was a heady taste of sugar as her girlfriend's mouth opened at her urging. A sizzle of something electric passed through their tightly pressed bodies and when the other woman drew away, panting, all Haley could think of was how wide the gulf between them seemed. That would not do.

Haley tugged on her collar, letting delighted fingers run across the shapely collarbone.

"Don't start something you can't finish," her girlfriend warned, cheeks flushed.

"I agree entirely. I just cleaned that sofa last week." Both women whipped around to find an entirely too amused Emily leaning against wall. "I have a book of meditative chants if you'd like me to recite it."

"Save it," Haley snapped. Of course her sister would choose the exact moment when things were getting good to show up. She was annoying like that.

"That's too bad."

The farmer cleared her throat. "I, um, made sandwiches. We saved some in the kitchen. I hope you don't mind that I cooked the lamb."

"It's no problem at all," Emily's smile turned coy. "Haley got it specially for you after all."

Haley threw her head back and groaned. Her girlfriend chuckled. " I think you broke her." Emily headed towards the kitchen with a spring to her step, laughing the entire way.

"I want to strangle her," Haley muttered.

"I could think of a better use for those hands." Catching the gleam in her girlfriend's eye, she brightened immediately. Maybe the night would still turn out fine, after all.

"Oh, really?" Haley purred.

"Yeah, I need someone to help me unpack."

"UGH!"

Haley stomped to her room, laughter echoing behind her. Everybody in this house just loved getting on her last nerve, didn't they?


End file.
